Analysis
Analysis is supposed to be the process one goes through before committing to a course of action so that it goes well. It can also be the process one goes through after a course of action has run into a problem, to find out what went wrong and decide how best to fix it. Personally, I prefer the former.
As computers take things very literally, a good analyst is used to thinking about the unthinkable, because the unthinkable happens sooner or later. What if someone's pay is negative one week, because the advance the week before wasn't covered by the hours this week? Or if Fred undergoes a sex-change operation and now Frederika wants the record to show she's a she, but there's no way to do that on the system.
I have been thinking about the unthinkable for an unthinkable number of years, and it gets pretty automatic. When you have a problem, I listen and then I ask questions. Then I tell you what I heard and I listen again and ask more questions. I can employ a number of charting aids to document what I think you are saying, so we can visualize what is being discussed and get it right. When we're agreed on the problem, I can use the same techniques to propose a solution. If there are any surprises, I haven't done my job correctly. It's a lot cheaper to get a design right in the discussion stage than to make changes during the construction.
Analysis is a part of just about anything you get done, and it's one area where experience counts. The more unthinkable things that one has seen, the better one can guard against problems in the future. I have the experience, and you can benefit from it.
If you have any questions about how I might be able to help you, please feel free to contact me by phone or e-mail.
On the back of an Envelope
Read a related article on how some quick calculations can sometimes save a lot of grief.
| Software Tools | Visio, Word, Excel - whatever makes most sense! |
| Technologies used | Structured Analysis, Systems Analysis, Risk Analysis, Business Analysis, Data Model, Flow Chart, Sensitivity Analysis, Data Flow, Reporting, Statistics, Interviews, Testing, Analysis, Feasibility Study, Facilitation, Joint Application Design, Policies and Procedures, Line of Visibility Model |
| Specialties | Breaking an impossible mess down into do-able tasks |
| Locality | Typically, I communicate via email, and occasionally phone. If analysis of your business issues requires face to face contact, you'd need to be in Oakville or possibly Burlington or Milton. I tried commuting once, and didn't like it. |
| Ideas | Workflow, Communications issues, Documentation needs, Best Practices, Current practice, Buy vs Build, IT Management, Proposals, Standards adherence, business plan |